Tag Archives: abstract

For those people that enjoy abstract art…here is my take on the Transamerica Building. This was taken at the base looking straight up! I enjoyed seeing the criss cross girders and thought it might look like a fun shot. Add a little HDR and Topaz Adjust to give it a extra texture effect and this is the end result. I am not one to take abstract type of photos, but every once in a while it is nice to mix it up! This is one tough building to photograph up close. I think it is due to the steep angle of the building sides. At least I got one picture up close out of the 5 or so I took. I wonder how Horace did? (he was shooting with me as well)

Here is some info from the web: The Transamerica Pyramid is the tallest and most recognizable skyscraper in the San Francisco skyline. Built on the location of the historic Montgomery Block, it has a structural height of 260 m (850 ft) and contains 48 floors of retail and office space. Construction began in 1969 and finished in 1972. Transamerica moved their headquarters to the new building from across the street, where they used to be based in another flatiron-shaped building now occupied by the Church of Scientology of San Francisco.

Although the tower no longer serves as the Transamerica Corporation headquarters, it is still strongly associated with the company and is depicted in the company’s logo. The building is evocative of San Francisco and has become one of the many symbols of the city.Designed by architect William Pereira, it faced considerable opposition during its planning and construction, and was sometimes referred to by detractors as “Pereira’s Prick”. The Transamerica Pyramid was the tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi from 1972 to 1974 surpassing the then Bank of America Center. It was then later surpassed by the Aon Center in Los Angeles. In 1999, Transamerica was acquired by Dutch insurance company AEGON. When the non-insurance operations of Transamerica were later sold to GE Capital, AEGON retained the building as an investment.